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Elect S Corporation status for your C Corporation or LLC.

In order to enjoy the best-possible tax savings for your business, you need to have the right tax classification. Many c corporations and LLCs elect to file for s corporation status because of the advantages this classification provides their businesses, including:

Pass-through taxation (the company's tax obligation is passed along to shareholders)

In order to elect an s corporation status, companies must file the IRS S Corp Form 2553, "Election By a Small Business Corporation." Timing is critical with Form 2553. The s corp election deadline dictates that it must be filed within 75 days of your c corporation or LLC's anniversary of formation, or within 75 days of a new year. If you have questions about a potentially late s corp election, please speak with a representative from incorporate.com who may be able to help you.

Companies often find it worthwhile to file Form 2553 for the thousands of dollars in potential tax savings an S Corporation status can provide their C Corporation or LLC.

Double Taxation Explained: Watch our Video

incorporate.com can help with your S Corporation Election

When electing s corp status, incorporate.com can help your company prepare the forms necessary for your company to file. Simply enroll in our services related to Form 2553 filing and get:

A 30-minute tax consultation with a Certified Public Accountant, who will help you determine if an S Corporation filing is right for you

Assistance completing Form 2553

Detailed instructions for faxing or mailing the form to the IRS

Answers for your other tax-related questions

A special note for LLCs: If the CPA determines during your consultation that your LLC would receive a greater tax benefit from a C Corporation tax classification, we'll provide you with assistance in completing a Form 8832 and detailed instructions for submitting it to the IRS.

An S Corporation is a corporation that can take advantage of pass through taxation. Pass through taxation is when each shareholder reports their share of the company's profit or loss on their individual tax returns.

S Corporation shareholders must be U.S. citizens, the company must be a domestic corporation, must have only one class of stock, the shareholders must be individuals or their estates or certain tax-exempt entities or trusts (i.e., not another corporate entity) and the number of shareholders of an S-Corporation cannot exceed 100 (with family members eligible for treatment as a single shareholder). To qualify as an S-Corporation for federal tax purposes the company must make an S-Corporation election through Internal Revenue Service Form 2553.

For the typical C-Corporation, the income of the corporation is taxed at the applicable corporate tax rate, and dividends distributed to shareholders are taxed as ordinary income; a situation often referred to as "double-taxation". With an S-Corporation, the income of the company flows through directly to the shareholders and is treated as a shareholder distribution, which is not generally subject to payroll taxes. It is important to note that shareholders employed by an S-Corporation must show regular income, which is taxed as wage income.

This is one of the s corporation forms that is due within 75 days of the Date of Formation, within 75 days of a new tax year, or any time during the year preceding the year the election is to be effective.

We can help you to complete the tax form. If you aren't 100% sure if the 2553 election is what you want, you have the opportunity to speak with an accountant who can provide you with helpful information so you can make the best decision for you.

This is an option. You may wish to elect to have your LLC taxed as an S-Corporation if your LLC is making regular distributions to members, particularly members who are not employed by the LLC. If you are interested, we can put you in touch with an accountant prior to filing a Form 2553, and the accountant can help you make the decision that is right for you.
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While IRS Form 2553 is required for the election of your business as an s corporation, there are a few other s corp-specific forms you should be aware of including the IRS s corp extension form. Also know as Form 7004, the IRS s corp extension form, gives a business entity a longer span of time to file their business income taxes, information, or additional returns. Another form to be aware of is Form 1120s, the Income Tax Return for an s corporation.

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